Editing History of England (section)

===England under the Danes and the Norman conquest===
{{main|Ethelred the Unready|Canute the Great|Eiríkr Hákonarson|Norman conquest of England}}

There were renewed Scandinavian attacks on England at the end of the 10th century. [[Æthelred the Unready|Æthelred]] ruled a long reign but ultimately lost his kingdom to [[Sweyn I of Denmark|Sweyn of Denmark]], though he recovered it following the latter's death. However, Æthelred's son [[Edmund II Ironside]] died shortly afterwards, allowing [[Cnut the Great|Cnut]], Sweyn's son, to become king of England. Under his rule the kingdom became the centre of government for the [[North Sea Empire|North Sea empire]] which included Denmark and Norway.

Cnut was succeeded by his sons, but in 1042 the native dynasty was restored with the accession of [[Edward the Confessor]]. Edward's failure to produce an heir caused a furious conflict over the succession on his death in 1066. His struggles for power against [[Godwin, Earl of Wessex]], the claims of Cnut's Scandinavian successors, and the ambitions of the [[Normans]] whom Edward introduced to English politics to bolster his own position caused each to vie for control of Edward's reign.

[[File:Hexateuch king.jpg|thumb|Anglo-Saxon king with his [[Witan]]. Biblical scene in the [[Old English Hexateuch]] (11th century)]]

[[Harold Godwinson]] became king, probably appointed by Edward on his deathbed and endorsed by the [[Witan]]. But [[William of Normandy]], [[Harald Hardrada|Harald Hardråde]] (aided by Harold Godwin's estranged brother [[Tostig Godwinson|Tostig]]) and [[Sweyn II of Denmark]] all asserted claims to the throne. By far the strongest hereditary claim was that of [[Edgar the Ætheling]], but due to his youth and apparent lack of powerful supporters, he did not play a major part in the struggles of 1066, although he was made king for a short time by the Witan after the death of Harold Godwinson.

In September 1066, [[Harald III of Norway]] and [[Earl Tostig]] [[Harald III Hardrada#Invasion of England|landed in Northern England]] with a force of around 15,000 men and 300 [[longship]]s. [[Harold Godwinson]] defeated the invaders and killed Harald III of Norway and Tostig at the [[Battle of Stamford Bridge]].

On 28 September 1066, [[William of Normandy]] [[Norman Conquest#Norman invasion|invaded England]] in a campaign called the [[Norman Conquest]]. After marching from [[Yorkshire]], Harold's exhausted army was defeated and Harold was killed at the [[Battle of Hastings]] on 14 October. Further opposition to William in support of [[Edgar the Ætheling]] soon collapsed, and William was crowned king on Christmas Day 1066. For five years, he faced a series of rebellions in various parts of England and a half-hearted Danish invasion, but he subdued them and established an enduring regime.